Sheet-metal spool



SHEET METAL SPOOL Filed Jan. 5, 1922 I INVENTOR 32 2; I 26 238' O /3 26 a Patented May 1, 1923.

flomreo STATES CHARLES AUGUSTUS BEAUJON, OF CANAA'N, CONNECTICUT.

SHEET-METAL srooL.

Application filed January 5, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BIGAUJON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canaan, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet- Metal Spools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spools or reels and has particular reference to reels for barbed wire or the like such as is used in farming districts for the building of stock fences. I wish it to be understood however that the device is adapted for use for spooling various kinds of wire, as well as rope, cord, or other analogous commodities.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide'a spool made of a single piece of.

sheet metal and comprising a body, centering means, and a plurality of wings or'extensions at each end extending at an angle from the axis of the body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spool structure of a most simple and relatively cheap construction for safe and reliable operation for the purposes set forth and which may be discarded without serious violation of economy after the wire has been removed therefrom.

A further and more specific object of this construction is to provide a sheet metal spool or reelwith a hollow body having specially devised centering devices for supporting the reel'upon a'rod for the purpose of reeling thereon or unreeling the wire therefrom, said centering devices constitutin extensions from the main portion of the reel or spool and extending into or across the axis of the hollow body, thereby overcoming one of the several objections to metal spools heretofore used,

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrange ment and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a prac tical embodiment thereof reference had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the sum parts in the several views, and in which- Figure. 1 is an elevation of one end of my improvement.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Serial No. 527,103.

Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the spool complete.

Fig. 4-. is a plan view of the sheet metal blank with all of the cuts indicated, the blank being yet in flat form.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I show my improved reel as comprising a central body or hub portion 10 indicated as of approximately square form in cross section but with slightly rounded edges. The body thus formed comprises four panels 11, 12, 13, and 1%, each connected to the next alon a quarter round or bend 15, the lines of connection between the bend and the adjacent panels being indicated by the light lines 16.

The panel 11 is provided adjacent to its free edge and about the center with a hole or slot 17, and the last panel 14 is provided along its free edge with a lip 18 con nected thereto around the bending line 19, said lip having at the center of its free edge a tongue 20 adapted to project through said slot 17 and clinch around the portion 21 of the first panel adjacent to the slot. This interlocking action between the tongue 20 and the slotted portion of the first panel serves to hold the rectangular body portion or hub of the device in definite form and position preliminary to receiving the wire or other commodity thereon after which obviously the wire will positively preclude any disconnection or opening of the body.

At either end of the body are formed a series .of wings 22 and 22, one wing being formed at each end of each panel constituting the hub or body. These wings are approximately rectangular, hut each terminates in a rounded end 23 within which is formed ahole 24. Each of these wings is designed to be bent outward at a right angle with respect to the end of the panel of which th wing is a part, the bends for these several wings being along bending lines 25 and 26, the latter bending lines be ing of a length equal to the width of the wing 22" to which they are pertinent.

The panel 11 is stamped or cut adjacent to each end as shown at 27 so as to form a plate 28 the outer end of which plate is integral with the adjacent wing 22 and always lies in the same plane therewith. At the end of the plate remote from this line of connection with the wing 22 is formed an integral tongue 29, and between the ends of the plate is formed a pivot hole 30 the center of which coincides with the axis of the body when the spool is set upv Also it will be noted that each plate 28 has struck ou from the integral end portion thereof a lug 31.

The third panel 13 has cut or stamped from its end portions plates 28' having general characteristics similar to the plates 28 including central holes 30, but instead of these plates having free end tongues 29 each of them has slots 32 and 33 adjacent to their free and integral ends respectively, and for interlocking co-operation with the tongue 29 and lug 31, respectively, of the plate 28 at the same end of the body of the finished spool.

After the blank is formed as shown in Fig. 4 it is first rolled or shaped into a rectangular form around the bending lines 16 and 19, and with the tongue hook clinched throiiigh the slot 17 the body becomes of fixed 'form. The wings 22 are then bent outward along the bending lines 25 into a plane perpendicular to the axis of the body, causing the plates 28 and 28' to come into direct flat contact with each other at each end of the body and with the holes 30 thereof in registry and with the tongue 29 and lug 31 of one plate having interlocking engagement through the slots 32 and of the other plate. A simple blow of a hammer applied to these tongues and lugs serves to make this interlock permanent and strong. Furthermore the two plates thus interlocked make a very rigid strong end piece for the hub or body through which the weight or strain upon the spool incident to the spooling or unspooling of the wire is sustained. it being understood that the rod or the like (not shown) upon which the spool is supported for spooling or unspooling will be projected along the axis of the spool through said holes 30. Likewise the wings 22 will be bent outward around the bending lines 26 into approximately the same plane as the wings 22. The purpose of the holes 24 in the ends of the wings is to provide means for the attachment of binding wires or the like which are sometimes passed across the face of a spool of wire for holding the same in place, to afford a place to anchor the outer or otherwise free end of the wire wound upon the spool, and also for the attachment of a tag or other device to a pool for shipment or identification purposes.

1 claim:

1. A sheet metal spool comprising a hub or body made up of a plurality of rectangular panels each connected to the next along a rounded edge. the body comprising tongue and slot means for locking thesame in definite form when assembled, the spool also including a plurality of wings on each end of the body located in approximately the same plane and each wing being integral with and constituting an extension of the end of an adjacent body panel.

2. device as set forth in claim 1 in which each body panel has two end wings.

3. The herein described sheet metal spool comprising a body made up of a plurality of rectangular panels arranged in pairs, end wings for each panel bent outward therefrom. and the wings of one pair of body panels being provided with connected centering devices for the support of the spool.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the centering devices have interlocking (o-operation with one another for strengthening and stifiening the body of the spool.

I). A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the centering devices pertinent to one panel have lugs and tongues While the centering devices pertinent to the companion panel of the same pair have a plurality of slots for interlocking co-operation with said tongues and lugs. all of said centering devices having aligned center holes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES AUGUSTUS BEAUJON. 

